Videos Discuss Antiabortion Bills, Contraceptive Coverage, New Leadership at NARAL

February 8, 2013 — Our video roundup includes a unique assortment of Web videos hand-picked by our editors. This week, we feature segments on federal and state abortion-rights debates in 2013, the updated religious accommodation to the contraceptive coverage rules, and the new leader of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow contrasts conservatives' approach to abortion-rights issues at the federal and state levels. Maddow also speaks with Nancy Northup of the Center for Reproductive Rights about conservative state lawmakers' efforts to restrict abortion. Asked about the wave of state measures already introduced by abortion-rights opponents this year, Northup responds, "I think that they're seeing that the doors may be closed for a while in Washington," but "because they control those state legislatures, ... they want to go for it. People often think, you know, it's not really about reversing Roe. Well, it is" (Maddow, "Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 1/31).




MSNBC's Chris Matthews calls the Obama administration's contraceptive coverage accommodation a "win-win" because it ensures that religiously affiliated employers "don't have to do something they believe is morally wrong" and also advances "the goal of averting unwanted pregnancies" by improving access to contraception (Matthews, "Hardball," MSNBC, 2/4).




Ilyse Hogue, the new president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, discusses her background working on progressive issues and what drove her to focus on reproductive rights (NARAL, 2/5). On MSNBC, Maddow also highlights Hogue's work at MoveOn.org and other organizations and speaks with her about her goals for NARAL (Maddow, "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 2/1).